Folding bench



Jan. 3, 1950 A. J. STURM 2,493,273

FOLDING BENCH Filed Jan. 16, 1948 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J .5724? 772/ Jan. 3, 1950 A. J. STURM 2,493,273

I FOLDING BENCH Filed Jan. 16, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flzmzder ([5527'773 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BEN C-H A exander 4ifi mfitmt e d Wi Application January 16, 19,48, SeriallN 0. 2,622

(01. idea-1 1,8

.2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to an improved construction of folding bench and more particularly to a bench especially adapted for use by fishermen and which may be readily folded into a compact unit for carrying in an automobile orstorage and which can be quickly and easily ex tended for use.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bench of extremely simple construction and which will effectively function to latch or lock itself in an extended position to eliminate any danger of the :bench collapsing while in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction whereby a back rest of the bench will function to effectively retain the legs in extended position-and wherein the legs in turn :will function as stops for limiting the movement of the back rest toward an extended position and for supporting the back rest when weight is ap plied thereto by the user or users of the bench.

Still a further and important object of the invention is to provide a benchespecially adapted for use by fishermen and wherein the foot structure may be tilted formaintaining the seat in substantially a horizontal position when the bench is positioned .on a sloping surface such as the bank of .a river or creek.

Still a further object of the invention .is :to provide a bench especially adapted for use by fishermen and which is so constru ed that i will not sink into sand or soft groundsufficiently to adversely affect the utility thereof.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred ,embcdiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing the bench extended;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the extended bench;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view thereof;

\i is illustrated as including two slats H which extend longitudinally thereof and whichare-con- Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line t-d of Figure 1;

Figure ,5 isa fragmentary, exploded perspective view of a portion of the structure, and

Figure 6 is an end elevational view, partly broken away,,of the extended structure.

mately the same thickness as the sills ected at their ends -to end pieces or braces 12 ing corresponding depending portions which extend to substantially belowthe inner or lowermost slat ii and which depending portions are connected, intermediate of their ends, by hinges is to the upper side of the seat .8 adjacent :the edge thereof, as .best illustrated in Figures 3 and A. The portions i i .of the end members or braces i=2 whichextend below the hinges 13 ,or are located on .the opposite side ..of said hinges to the slats M, are each provided with an elongated, longitudinally disposed notch 15 which opens outwardly of the terminal thereof and for :a purpose which will hereinafter become .apparent.

Each .of the legs i6 includes .a relatively wide, solid piece it which is preferably only slightly narrower than the seat 8 which is hingedly connected .to the under side of said seat and :adiacent an end thereof by .at least two hinges l! which are arranged to be secured to the inner side of the leg portions it to permit ;,Sa1id'l eg p e e to f l inwar ly and inst the und rsid of s d sea and s t when t lee pie e J1 i ex nded to a pos t on s ia y pe pend -.u' ;a to t e seat 8 th ppe e t e o wi against the underside of the seat to prevent the leg piece it from swinging outwardly beyond its perpendicular position of Figure :1. As clearly illustrated in the drawings, the bench fl is proyidedwith a single log it? adjacent each lend thereof and the bottom edges of :said leg pieces it are arcuate and conv x as e e r y illustrated at l 8.

Each leg l illalso includes an elongated sill 11:9 which :is connected intermediate of its ends 'by a fastening :21! to the complementary leg por: .tion H5, 1said fastening 29 engaging said a-legporption 15 intermediate of its side edges and :adjacent to its arcuate bottom edge F3. The sills 2e are disposed so that one longitudinal edge thereof is disposedibeneath orloutwardlytof com- .plenientary'edge it and said sills .areof a'length substantially greater than the width of .the .leg

port-ions It and areadapted .to form the surface engaging portions of the legs.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustratedi-n Figures 1 to 5, each of the leg-portions 1-5 is provided on its inner side and adjacent its fcrw-a-r-d-edge with a block M from which projects a pinorstudfi? and which block is of approxi- Ll. A latch bar 23 is pivotally mounted at 24 tc the exposed side and adjacent the forward end of each sill it and said latch bars 23 are provided with notches 25 in one longitudinal edge thereof for selectively engaging the complementary stud 22, as best illustrated in Figure l, for fixedly positioning the sill member relatively to the leg portion [6 on which it is pivoted and it will accordingly be readily apparent that said sill members may be adjustably disposed so that the bottom surface engaging edges thereof will be positioned either parallel to the plane of the seat 8 or at an angle thereto, as illustrated in Figure 4.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figure 6, a slightly modified form of latching means for the sill members I9 is disclosed and wherein the studs 22a are threaded and the latch bars 23a are provided with elongated slots or openings 26, in lieu of the notches 25 for slidably receiving the studs 22a. Each stud 22a carries a clamping nut 21, preferably in the form of a wing nut which can be manually tightened for clamping the sills [9 at any desired angle with respect to the seat 8.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the back rest 9 can be folded downwardly and inwardly on to the upper surface of the seat 8, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3 and that in so moving the brace portions l4 will be swung out of engagement with the leg elements [8 and to the dotted line positions of Figure 3 so that said legs can be swung upwardly and inwardly against the underside of the seat 8 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 to thus afford a compact folded unit which may be readily carried in the trunk compartment of a vehicle or which may be readily stored or manually carried.

It will be readily apparent that this folding of the bench i may be accomplished very quickly and easily and the opening and extending thereof can be accomplished with equal ease by first swinging the legs 18 outwardly to their extended position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 after 'which the back rest 9 is swung upwardly and to the left from its dotted line to its full line position of Figure 3 to cause the notches I5 to engage the rear edges of the leg portions IE and to thereby latch said legs Iii in extended position. Thus,

the back rest 9 functions as a latch for the legs I 0 and said legs in turn function as stops for limiting the extent that the back rest can be swung counterclockwise as seen in Figure 3 and to an extended position.

When the bench 7 is employed on a level surface the sills 19 are latched so that their bottom, surface engaging edges will be disposed substantially parallel to the plane of the seat 8 but when the bench 7 is utilized on a sloping surface such as the bank of a river, said sills l9 are adjusted so that their surface engaging edges are at an angle to the plane of the seat 8, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 6 in order that theseat 8 may be in substantially a horizontal position when the sills 19 are engaging a sloping surface.

The bench 1 may be formed of various materials, preferably wood except for the hinges and latch means and may be made in various sizes and it will be readily apparent that a chair or seat for one person may be constructed in the same manner as the bench i by merely reducing the length of the seat portion 8 and back rest 9.

Various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article of furniture comprising a seat, a leg hingedly connected to the underside of said seat and adjacent each end thereof for swinging movement upwardly and inwardly against the underside of said seat to a folded position, said legs being disposed in depending, substantially perpendicular relationship to the seat when in extended, operative positions, a back rest hingedly connected to the upper side of said seat adjacent the back edge of the seat and movable from a folded position against the upper side of said seat to an extended position at an obtuse angle thereto, and inter-engaging means on the legs and back rest, when said parts are in extended positions, for locking said legs in extended positions, each of said legs including a relatively wide piece which is hingedly attached to the seat and disposed transversely thereof, said back rest including brace members having portions depending below said seat, when the back rest is in an extended position, said depending portions having slots opening outwardly of their lower ends engaging corresponding edges of said leg members for latching the legs in extended positions and combining therewith to form said inner engaging means.

2. An article of furniture comprising a seat, a leg hingedly connected to the underside of said seat and adjacent each end thereof for swinging movement upwardly and inwardly against the underside of said seat to a folded position, said legs being disposed in depending, substantially perpendicular relationship to the seat when in extended, operative positions, a back rest hingedly connected to the upper side of said seat adjacent the back edge of the seat and movable from a folded position against the upper side of said seat to an extended position at an obtuse angle thereto, and inter-engaging means on the legs and back rest, when said parts are in extended positions, for locking said legs in extended positions, each of said legs including a relatively wide piece which is hingedly attached to the seat and disposed transversely thereof, said back rest including brace members having portions depending below said seat, when the back rest is in an extended position, said depending portions having slots opening outwardly of their lower ends engaging corresponding edges of said leg members for latching the legs in extended positions and combining therewith to form said inner engaging means, and said leg portions forming stops for limiting the swinging movement of the back rest toward an extended position.

ALEXANDER J. STURM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 178,557 Powers June 13, 1876 2,222,578 Walenta Nov. 19, 1940 2,453,027 Marks Nov. 2, 1948 

